We have to cross Ingushetia along a corridor that is guarded by the army to reach Chechnya: the signs of the bloody wars have been almost entirely erased and Grozny is full of skyscrapers still under construction and even the most remote towns have been rebuilt from the rubble of the war; but we are able to document the tragic story nonetheless.
The conflicts and the bureaucratic difficulties associated with permit for transit complicate our journey.
Accompanies by archaeologists we will have the privilege to enter the “oldest cellar in the world” which is 7,000 years old and take part in a series of excavations in search of the Armenia’s most ancient past.
Under the sever gaze of the statue of Mother Armenia, the capital Yerevan flaunts museums, libraries, art galleries and theatres.
We leave the Talish Mountains to reach the bucolic city of Lankaran, which is famous for the massive tower where a young Stalin was imprisoned for a period after taking part in the prime uprisings.
One of the Countries that most clearly highlights the contrast between Asia and Europe: Azerbaijan, which is crossed by the ancient Silk Road, has always been an important trading crossroads between the West and East.
We will fly over the plains in the legendary Colchis, where the Golden Fleece that was sought after by Jason and the Argonauts was meant to have been conserved.
We’ll be getting lost in the alleyways and lanes of Tbilisi, an ancient city and the current capital of Georgia, to admire the beautiful traditional buildings and the many historical and religious monuments.
More than half of North Americans are fascinated by genealogy. Some gain a sense of identity by uncovering their ancestors, their culture, and their country of origin. Others find it disorienting when they discover that their history differs from what they have always believed. But there is another side to the rise in genealogy that goes beyond human interest. It is arguably the largest historical enterprise in the world, driven by big religion, big business and big technology.
